Patent GB-208533-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled printing machines
Filed: 1923-12-11
Abstract: 208,533. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Carroll, F. M.). Dec. 12, 1922, Convention date]. Record-controlled driving-mechanism; electric type-wheel machines. - In selective-printing mechanism controlled by perforated record-cards, two perforations are employed for character-selec. tion, and the record-cards are fed through successive perforation-reading devices corresponding to groups of characters, switch-devices being provided for causing the first and second of the two perforations to select a group, and a character in the group respectively. As shown diagrammatically in the Figure, record-cards 25 of the " Hollerith " type are fed through successive sets A - - F of perforation-feelers consisting of brushes 43 and contacts 44 adapted, when perforations are presented, to close the circuits of magnets 15 controlling the selective-printing mechanism described in Specification 204.676, and comprising a rotary drum H carrying printing-members. The printing-members are now arranged in groups A' - - F<1> containing nine - - four type-members respectively, the group A<1> printing numerals, and the groups B<1> - - F<1> printing letters &c. The shaft 4 of the drum H carries a contact-member consisting of a ring 45, and arms 49 separated by insulating-blocks 47, the ring engaging a contact 46, and the arms periodically engaging contacts 48 to close the circuits of magnets 60 having armatures 64, which, when moved, permit the closing of contacts 66 in circuit with the magnets 15. A drum 51 geared to the drum H carries a ring 53 engaging a contact 55, and contacts 52 for successively engaging contacts 54 each in circuit with one of the sets A - - F of feelers. The drive is so arranged that each contact 52 engages its contact 54 at the same time that the corresponding arm 49 engages the contacts 48, the contact 52 remaining in engagement until another arm 49 engages the contacts 48. Perforations in the first - - sixth rows effect group-selection when they are presented to the sets A - - F of feelers respectively, simultaneously with the passage over the contacts 48 of the corresponding arms 49. After the passage, of a group-selecting perforation, a perforation in the same column serves for character-selection, the selected character being that corresponding to the row in advance; for instance, in one column, if there are perforations in the first and second rows, the first perforation selects the group A<1>, and the second perforation selects the " 9 " character. The groupselecting perforations close the circuits of the magnets 66, and establish the circuits of the magnets 15, but the closing of the latter circuits is delayed by the inertia of the armatures 64 or other means, and the magnets 15 are thereby rendered inoperative by the group-selecting perforations. When, however, the character-selecting perforations are prevented, the magnets 15 are operative to select characters. When the card has passed through all the sets of feelers, the contacts 66 are broken by means of a bail 92, engaging the contact-levers 65 and operated by a cam 90. The spaces between successive sets A - - F of feelers decrease by the distance between two rows of perforations in the card.